Committee tasked with tackling e-cigs
PUBLISHED: 8 Mar 2025 at 04: 00
The government intends to set up a commission to fight the growing number of e-cigarettes being illegally sold in the country. So much, over 9, 000 sites selling cigarettes have been blocked.
PM’s Office Minister Jiraporn Sindhuprai chaired a meeting with 20 federal authorities yesterday to explain methods to curb the spread of e-cigarettes. The conference followed up on the development of the anti-vape steps outlined in a similar meeting next month.
Ms Jiraporn said the procedures involve three important strategies, including tight law enforcement to bite down on illegal e-cigarettes, proactive efforts to suppress their spread and associated constitutional reforms.
She said a proposal to set up a specific commission overseeing these work has been submitted.
The conference also tracked the progress in shutting down access to sites offering e-cigarettes, e-liquids and related equipment.
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has now blocked over 9, 000 web sites improperly selling e-cigarettes and is working with businesses to stop search terms related to for products and locked down websites that attempt to sell them.
Additionally, logistics companies are required to display clear notices prohibiting the shipment of e-cigarettes and accessories, with enhanced security measures, including mandatory scanning of suspicious packages and retention of sender data for at least 30 days.
Ms Jiraporn has urged certain agencies, including the Interior Ministry, the Royal Thai Police (RTP), the Customs Department and the Office of the Consumer Protection Board ( OCPB), to compile weekly reports on enforcement efforts and communicate results to the public.
According to RTP data, there were 666 vape-related cases between Feb 26 and March 4, with 690 suspects arrested and 454, 958 items worth over 41 million baht seized.
Separately, Metropolitan Police Bureau officers yesterday raided a two-storey house in Nonthaburi used as an e-cigarette storage facility, where over 30, 000 e-cigarette and e-liquid items worth over 3 million baht were seized.
Two male suspects admitted to operating the facility for six months, storing products for retailers in the Bangkok area. The police have identified their Thai employer and are pursuing further investigations, while the two suspects have been charged under customs, business registration, food and drug laws.
The operation was linked to a March 1 raid in Bang Khae district, where officers seized 343, 600 units of e-cigarettes and e-liquids worth 30 million baht.